Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-21003

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 14 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much support the horticulture sector received through the Basic Payment Scheme in the latest year for which figures are available, also provided as a percentage of the total Basic Payment Scheme funding.

Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments are not specifically allocated to the horticulture sector. However, our Census Data does identify holdings that are either of specialist horticulture and permanent crop type or which have at least 2 hectares of horticultural crops on the holding. In 2022, BPS payments worth approx. £22.6 million (8.13% of total BPS expenditure) were paid to businesses using these holdings.

It should be noted that as BPS payments are issued at a business level, some of these payments will be to businesses with additional farming activity which is not considered as horticulture.

Question reference: S6W-20837

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Police Scotland, (b) local authorities and (c) Transport Scotland regarding road safety on the North Coast 500 route, and whether it will provide an update on what actions have been taken to address the reported excessive speed and dangerous driving on the route.

Transport Scotland are in regular discussions with a range of operational partners, including Police Scotland and local road authorities, to explore ways to enhance road safety in the north of Scotland. This includes discussion through the Road Safety Framework Local Partnership Forum which last met on 15 June 2023.

Over the summer months additional and targeted safety camera and police officer resources have been deployed across the road network, including the North Coast 500, to encourage good driver behaviour and enhanced levels of speed limit compliance.

Question reference: S6W-20793

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how islands and remote communities can best engage with the Scottish Government in the early stages of infrastructure investment and strategic transport planning to explore the potential to build more fixed links and reduce their reliance on ferries.

The second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) was published in December 2022 and will inform the Scottish Government’s transport investment programme over the next 20 years and help to deliver the National Transport Strategy. STPR2 recommends a potential Sound of Harris/ Sound of Barra fixed links as well as another between Mull and the Scottish mainland.

STPR2 included a considerable programme of engagement activities at a national and regional level with participation from local stakeholders, communities and businesses throughout the process. All of Scotland’s local authorities with island and remote communities were represented on at least one regional transport working group which helped to inform STPR2.

The STPR2 Delivery Plan is currently being progressed and will provide further insight on the programming and delivery of all 45 recommendations including the potential for the 3 fixed links. In the preparation of the Delivery Plan, Transport Scotland officials are currently considering how best to consult and engage with all stakeholders including islands, remote communities and other interested parties.

Question reference: S6O-02457

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what further discussions it plans to have with the UK Government regarding lifting the 100KW deployment cap on its Feed-In Tariffs Scheme for renewable energy generation from community and farm-owned micro-hydro schemes in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-20666

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 29 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding any need for greater transparency on bycatch from supertrawlers, in light of reports of hundreds of dolphins being killed in UK waters every year.

While the management of Scottish waters is an area of devolved competency, the Scottish Government continues to work with the UK Government and other devolved administrations through the delivery of the Marine Wildlife Bycatch Mitigation Initiative (BMI) which is a joint plan for tackling bycatch across the UK to minimise, and where possible eliminate, bycatch of sensitive marine species.

It is important to note that all vessels authorised to operate in Scottish waters do so under the appropriate licences, and are obliged to follow Scottish domestic management rules. This includes a mandatory requirement for all vessels (including EU vessels) operating in UK waters to report all incidences of marine mammal bycatch to the Marine Management Organisation.

Sustainability, support for biodiversity, and consideration of the wider ecosystem is at the heart of how we manage Scotland’s fisheries and protect our marine environment. For this reason, actions contained within both Scotland Fisheries Management Strategy and in the Blue Economy Vision for Scotland, sets out our ambition for the sustainable management and shared stewardship of Scotland’s seas and coasts.

Question reference: S6W-20832

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 August 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Paul McLennan on 24 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with delivering the Bute House Agreement commitment to ensure that community housing trusts are adequately funded so that they can support the delivery of enhanced rural home building plans.

I am pleased to announce a package of support, co-funded with Nationwide Foundation, of up to £960,000 over the next three years. It will support the staff capacity and expertise within Communities Housing Trust and South of Scotland Community Housing to bring forward the projects in their pipeline to delivery.

This commitment will form part of the Remote, Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan that will be published in the Autumn.

Question reference: S6W-20329

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 22 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether any company that fails to meet any planning conditions over a prolonged period should be permitted to continue to operate.

Under planning legislation a failure to comply with a condition of planning consent constitutes a breach of planning control. Monitoring compliance with conditions attached to planning permissions is a matter for the relevant planning authority.

Planning authorities have a range of enforcement powers, and a general discretion under planning legislation to take enforcement action against any breach of planning control if they consider such action to be in the public interest and proportionate to the scale of the breach, having regard to the provisions of the development plan and any other material considerations.

Question reference: S6W-20328

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 22 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Migdale Smolt Ltd is currently operating in compliance with the conditions associated with its section 42 application (reference 18/01202/S42) to monitor for wild fish impacts and escapes.

Monitoring compliance with conditions attached to planning permissions is a matter for the relevant planning authority. Planning authorities have a range of enforcement powers, and a general discretion under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 to take enforcement action against any breach of planning control if they consider such action to be in the public interest and proportionate to the scale of the breach, having regard to the provisions of the development plan and any other material considerations. The Scottish Government and Scottish Ministers have no remit under planning legislation to intervene in or comment on individual cases.

Question reference: S6W-20327

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 22 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action Migdale Smolt Ltd has taken to comply with the planning condition associated with its section 42 application (reference 18/01202/S42) to monitor for wild fish impacts and escapes since the condition was imposed in 2018.

Monitoring compliance with conditions attached to planning permissions is a matter for the relevant planning authority. Planning authorities have a range of enforcement powers, and a general discretion under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 to take enforcement action against any breach of planning control if they consider such action to be in the public interest and proportionate to the scale of the breach, having regard to the provisions of the development plan and any other material considerations. The Scottish Government and Scottish Ministers have no remit under planning legislation to intervene in or comment on individual cases.

Question reference: S6W-20250

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 21 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the discharge levels from open loop scrubbers, also known as exhaust gas cleaning systems, in Scottish ports, and whether it will consider implementing a prohibition on such discharges in Scottish ports, as has been the case in the Forth and Tay ports since 2019.

The Scottish Government has not conducted an assessment regarding discharge levels from Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) in Scottish ports. Whilst statutory port authorities have individual powers to regulate vessel activities within their harbour limits, the responsibility for shipping emission regulations is reserved to the UK Government. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is responsible for enforcing all shipping regulations in UK waters, to ensure vessels are meeting UK and international safety and environmental regulations.

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